About
By 2030, it is predicted that there will be 70 million Americans over the age of 65 - roughly 20% of the population - and there is a shortage of professionals to assist this ever-increasing population. Many professional fields have a gerontological or geriatric sector, including many medical professions, such as doctors, pharmacists, and nurses, as well as seemingly disparate fields such as architecture and law. More than half of Baby Boomers have turned 65 and there will be many more in the years to come. Aging has become an integral part of our society and there are many ways to get involved.
Montana is among several states in the country with the highest percentage of older adults in their population. Many organizations are making strides in the professional, academic, and research fields to advance our knowledge about aging. With your help, we can position ourselves to provide improved quality of care and respect for an aging population.
Mission Statement
The UM Gerontology Society aims to:
- Raise awareness of gerontological issues
- Foster a community of involvement
- Connect individuals to resources in their community
- Advocate for the rights of the aging population
- Educate the student body about gerontological research and opportunities
All UM students, faculty, graduate students and community members are welcome to join UMGS. Gerontology is a great field for pharmacy, social work, nursing, physical therapy, pre-medical students and many other disciplines across campus.
History
The UM Gerontology Society was founded in October 2012 on the University of Montana campus by Michael Lawrence, Bailee Guisti, and Kelly Lumpkin. All three students pursued the Minor in Gerontology offered by the University of Montana. They had ties with an active network of faculty and professionals interested in aging, but realized a centralized student-run group was missing from the campus. With the guidance and advice of Cindy Garthwait, MSSW, and Gayle Hudgins, Pharm.D., the UM Gerontology Society was formed with an active member base from a variety of fields of study.
Looking Forward
To further our aims as stated above, the UM Gerontology Society has the following goals:
- To increase the number of group hours spent on service projects.
- To increase the number of individual member hours spent in the community.
- To provide the UM student population with information on ageism, careers in aging, and related topics.
- To work with the Montana Geriatric Education Center to improve the care of older Montanans.
- To strengthen alliances with the Missoula Senior Center and other local organizations.